BT Edmonton Blogs

We’re excited to be part of the annual Edmonton Sun Christmas Charity Auction once again this year. Between 9am Tuesday and 3pm Thursday, October 29th, we’re asking you to consider bidding on one of the more than 200 packages up for grabs. This year, four charities (The Edmonton Christmas Bureau, The United Way, Catholic Social Services and The Stollery Children’s Hospital Foundation) will split the funds raised. We’re shooting for more than $300,000!

The gang here at Citytv has put together a number of excellent options! Bridget Ryan and I would love for you to join us for a weekend at the (stunning) Jasper Park Lodge with skiing/snowboarding at Marmot Basin (including their brand new quad chair!) and an afternoon of dogsledding in the Rockies! It’s going to be unreal! Of course, that’s the “official” itinerary. When Bridget and I get together (especially with an audience), it’s tough to predict exactly what will happen. What I can GUARANTEE is plenty of laughter, a late night or two and stories you won’t hear on the air…

Michele McDougall, Asha Tomlinson, Charlsie Agro and Amanda Ferguson are all “up for grabs” as well – you can follow this link to learn more about each of their extra-special auction items. It’s been a tough year for a lot of families that rely on social services here in our city. We’re confident we can all come together to keep the funds flowing to these important groups!

Special thanks to Graham Hicks and the Edmonton Sun for coordinating the annual auction, along with the University of Alberta’s School of Business for donating the use of its website – www.campusauctionmarket.com. That’s where you’ll find a listing of all the auction items. Click here to register and then here (or call 780.421.XMAS) to place your bid on Ryan & Ryan in the Rockies!

rpj.

When you look up at the clouds, do YOU see characters?    I do.   So do James and his wife Carlene.    They were in Friendly Manitoba for summer holidays visiting the beautiful prairie towns of Pipestone and Virden.    They looked up, and Fresh Air Photos were looking back at “them”.
This first one Characters on Parade .. is just that.   And check out the cloud on the far right.   It shows incredible updrafts that are sheared off at the top.

Character Parade

Here’s what James tells us:  “there had been a stretch of very hot weather & this day was no different.   We were enjoying a weenie roast when Carlene noticed these magnificent formations.   It truly looked as though there were a parade of characters marching up over the horizon.    Normally one can “make out” shapes & faces in clouds …. but with this there was barely a need for imagination.    We immediately stated that these pictures would be emailed to Michele upon our arrival home”.             (NOW THAT IS FRESH AIR PHOTO DEDICATION we love … and encourage!)

Police officer?

In the shot above, I see a police officer complete with his hat,..maybe even gun pointing down.

DID YOU KNOW?     You might have noticed I used the phrase Friendly Manitoba .. and for good reason.   The word “Friendly” has been included on Manitoba’s license plates since 1976 (the same year I got my driver’s license!).    From 1971 to 1975 the plates said Sunny Manitoba.

Out of this World

Wow!   Zoltan is showing us the best of all worlds.   With both feet (and his camera) firmly planted on terra firma, he captured the northern lights, a bit of the Perseid meteor shower, and the sun beginning its climb of the day.    Thanks to Zoltan for this pic.    It, and many other jaw dropping beauties are on his website www.infocusimagery.com 

DID YOU KNOW?     The Perseid meteor shower comes from the comet Swift-Tuttle.    Because of its orbit, we Earthlings see it from mid-July to about the end of August.    They are called “The Perseids” because the point they appear to come from, lies in the constellation Perseus. 

THE TRUTH IS OUT THERE!    POINT AND SHOOT – UPLOAD AND TAKE A BOW.    SOUNDS EASY, THAT’S BECAUSE IT IS.    BECOME A MEMBER OF OUR FRESH AIR PHOTO NATION AND SEE YOUR PICTURE ON BT AND ON THIS VERY BLOG.   

It was a whirlwind tour.    Lauderdale Elementary is anything ..  BUT!!!   

PICTURE #1:   Ms. Marjorie Foth and company.    The grade 5 and 6 students are incredibly smart, well-behaved, well read — and a ton of fun!

PICTURE #2:   Mrs. Lindsay’s star students: second grade.     Thanks for inviting me to read,..and thanks for a new collection of jokes!        Here’s one:  What did the snowman eat for breakfast?   Frosted Flakes.

Grade 5 & 6

 Above are:  Carly,  Keilyn,  Kelsey,  Matthew,  Riely,  Zach,  William,  Ryan,  Kory,  McLean,  Angela,   Jasmine,  Andrea,  Erica,  Fatuma,  Lamya,  Grace,  Adrianah,  Kaitlyn,  Jessica,  Savannah,  Emily,  Alura -Jane, Michelle.

Below are the awesome kids in grade 2.

Grade 2

Thirsty traveller

A momma moose and her little one out for a stroll, stopped in for a drink.    Jim tells us that the cow and calf are regular visitors.    Mom has been coming around for a few years.    They recognize her from a scar she has on her front leg.    This picture was taken at about 6:30 in the evening,…but just yesterday morning – they came back at daybreak.    Jim and family live south of Onoway, east of Alberta Beach.    Guess that koi pond water is pretty tasty! 

DID YOU KNOW?   The flap of skin that hangs from their throats is called a “bell”.    Male moose have,…but female moose do not have antlers.    The plural of moose is “moose”.    Examples:  There was one moose in the forest.   AND   There were two moose in the forest.

People who live in Moose Jaw are called Moosejavians.

IF YOU WERE TO SEND IN A PHOTO, PEOPLE WE WOULD CALL YOU FANTASTIC!    WE WOULD ALSO CALL YOU A MEMBER OF THE FRESH AIR PHOTO NATION.   UPLOAD YOUR PHOTO TODAY!!!

Face Your Fear Fridays are back on BT!

This morning I faced my fear! If you missed it, check out the video below!

What’s your fear?? Want to face it? I will try to hook you up on BT!!

Yes Virginia, there is a Santa Claus…oh, and Oilers forward Dustin Penner prompted two standing ovations with a 5-point performance at Rexall Place Thursday night, putting him fourth in NHL scoring with 14 points in 9 games.

The last time the hulking winger prompted such a raucous reaction from the fans, it was focused in a bit of a different direction, to say the least. Expectations were through the roof when then-Oilers GM Kevin Lowe signed the Winkler, MB product to a 5-year, $21.25M contract in July of 2007. Penner had stormed onto the NHL landscape with the Anaheim Ducks, providing strong secondary scoring and a big physical presence in the forward corps. Cut to a few months into his Edmonton tenure, fans were already “displeased” (code for “losing their minds”) over what was often described as an ill-prepared, lazy effort from #27. Penner couldn’t click with former Oilers coach Craig MacTavish, who took the opportunity (on multiple occasions, but one in particular) to throw his underachieving goal scorer under the bus.

So what’s different? The coaching change is an obvious first focus, with Pat Quinn and Tom Renney leading a team that appears to have its confidence back. Penner’s skating with his head held high, Sam Gagner is showing signs of a breakout this NHL season, Ales Hemsky might actually wind up where he belongs amongst the NHL’s leading scorers at the end of the year. The Edmonton Oilers are off to a 6-2-1 start, contending for the division lead and sitting fourth in a tough Western Conference.

There’s something to be said for the motivation that comes from missing out on the playoffs multiple years in a row. Or new chemistry that comes with bringing in a Stanley Cup-winning All-Star goaltender. Maybe the change in direction has something to do with the Oil rocking those retro sweaters early in the season. Or…maybe all this fight is thanks to the flu.

It’s no secret the Oilers have been decimated by the flu this past week. Mike Comrie and Gilbert Brule are amongst those who have sat out practice trying to get better – there were signs Thursday night against Columbus that a few players might be playing at less than 100%. I can’t help but wonder if this is a team that’s tired of making excuses and sick of succumbing to off-ice challenges and distractions. The players aren’t about to let runny noses slow them down.

It’s a stretch, I know…but when a team looks so drastically different this early in the 2009-10 NHL season, you don’t leave any stone unturned in trying to determine the cause. Hockey players are notoriously superstitious – maybe the sniffles have something to do with Edmonton’s success in the early going. Plus, if I’m right, Penner’s snipes from the hash marks are a much more fun version of a “flu shot” than the alternative.

Reality suggests the flu has nothing to do with what happens on the ice, but you never know. If my theory proves correct (and influenza is providing a “booster” for the team), then the Oilers will want to ignore this sage advice from my great uncle Joe on beating the flu (click on the video below). Enjoy your weekend!

rpj.

 like oh my god parkers like totally gonna have to be a grown up.